Turnings
by the shadow proves the sunshine
Summary: There is a time for everything, the Pevensies learn. A series of drabbles based on Ecclesiastes.
1. Chapter 1

**Turnings**

**Summary: **There is a time for everything, the Pevensies learn. A series of drabbles based on Ecclesiastes.

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill- I own nothing, C.S. Lewis owns the Pevensies, etc.

**Author's Note: **While this is based on the very famous passage from Ecclesiastes, I will say that it won't follow the order of the verses, but instead I plan on trying to find the chronological order of a life- for example, beginning with a time for birth and ending with a time for death. The idea for this is mainly Edmund-centered, but the other Pevensies will have their roles to play as well.

**Part One**

_A time to give birth_

A wild struggle for life was going on in room 154. The baby- male, born at 4:54 A.M. on a cold, wet November Thursday. Five pounds, eight ounces, premature, and breathing problems since the moment he came out.

The mother, a once joyous woman, wore an expression of anxiety and dread. Her husband, a large, solemn man said nothing and held her hand as she wept silent tears. The nurses who were on duty passed between the parents, the sick child, and the two children the couple had already had that had been brought to the hospital and were sitting surprisingly quiet for their age on two chairs in the corner of the room.

"Don't worry, Su," The oldest, a blonde-hair, bright-eyed, smiling boy declared to the younger daughter, "Our brother will be out soon. Right, mom?"

"That's right Peter," the mother of the family said weakly, pain still leaving echoes on her face.

The clock ticked. Tick. Tick. Tick. For mere minutes or hours, none of the family members could say.

After an eternity, a young, careworn nurse entered the room. The man jumped to his feet, expecting bad news, but as soon as the family saw the expression on the nurse's face, four identical smiles lit up their faces.

And then they brought in the newest member of their family.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two**

_A Time to Be Silent_

Peter knew his younger brother was suffering. Did Edmund think he could really hide the bruises, the cries, the tears, the fears in the small space they shared? Peter knew Edmund had been reserved since birth, but. . . he was his brother. Didn't that mean something, didn't they have some common, unspoken, deep bond stronger than anyone could ever break?

He believed that once, he had, but lately. . . The last time Peter had tried to bridge the gap, Edmund had gone and purposely sought out a fight, which had been a first. Peter's attempt to aid his younger brother had created so many more problems.

Peter had vowed that day, when Edmund came home with a busted lip, that he would be silent. It was an attempt to protect his brother from himself, but by doing so, harm came tenfold.

It tortured Peter inside, but for now. . . he needed to be silent.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part Three**

_A Time to Plant_

The words had stung.

"You'll never be as good as your brother," The older boys had said to him. "You never do as well as your brother," stated his teachers.

"Why can't you be more like Peter?" The constant refrain from teachers, adults, and sometimes, even his parents.

So when Edmund was approached by Mark one day, the school bully, he stood his ground. And somehow, in some crazy sense, he had become part of Mark's little gang. And now he had power. And when the idea crept in his head that one day he might be more powerful, perhaps even better than Peter, well. . . he didn't stop it.

The idea was firmly planted in his head.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part Four**

_A Time to Uproot What is Planted_

It only took a second for Edmund to realize the truth of what was. In that moment, he saw a magnificent golden lion, _the _Lion, Aslan, and he knew. He saw his brother, his wonderful older brother, Peter, sit on the throne at Cair Paravel and he knew. This was his place. It made him no less than his brother, nor greater, but simply Edmund, and for the first time in years, the thirst for power and the hunger for selfishness left completely. That had died, but a new, better plant had sprung in Edmund's heart.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part Five**

_A Time to Kill_

He remembered the first time after the coronation he had come off the battlefield. It was technically Edmund's second battle, but it felt like the first. The Battleof Beruna was an anomaly as far as battles went- sides were clear-cut, they had Aslan, all would eventually be well. But this, having to kill and maim talking beasts that were maybe just misguided, maybe just had a few things wrong, but weren't wholly evil. . . It did not sit well with him.

Because hadn't he been one of them?

Why did he get a second chance, when some of these creatures did not? Because maybe, some of them could have used a second chance and made a good life for themselves, could have been a blessing to Narnia, and not another problem to deal with.

Edmund was a great warrior, but he was unsure if he could ever get use to killing on the battlefield.

But perhaps that was a good thing, he reasoned. Killing, even on a battlefield, should not be easy.

_A time to kill. . . _he mused. . _a time to kill. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Part Six**

_A Time to Embrace_

The sun set over the horizon, painting the edge of the sky with a broad brush of pinks and oranges. The youngest queen sat solemnly on the balcony of her brother's room, watching and waiting.

"Not today, Lu." Ed replied to her unspoken question, just as solemn. Peter was a week overdue and anxiety was starting to set in across the family. There had been talk of a small force rising up against the Narnia throne in foreign nations, and Peter had gone to investigate and talk to the Tisroc. His only company had been less than a dozen small animals that could hide and gather information easily.

Susan joined her brother and sister on the porch, looking questioningly at the land in front of her.

"He'll be home tomorrow." The eldest sister comforted, as she had done every evening for the past week. Each day, the words sounded less sure.

Lucy sighed, resigned Peter to another night in the wilderness, and blinked back the tears in her eyes.

"Oh! What's that?" An excited Edmund exclaimed. The light was almost all gone from the sky, but faint traces remained on the horizon, and Edmund had keen eyes.

Lucy quickly blinked back tears, her eye sight improving at once.

"It's Peter!" She shrieked.

For a second, none of the siblings moved but only exchanged glances between each other. Then, without a word, they all rose and positively ran through the castle, racing to get to the front courtyard.

As soon as the three siblings made it to the garden in front, their speed only improved. It took Peter only a second to process this and he held his arms out toward his siblings. At once, they all ran and embraced him. Their embrace was so strong that it took his breath away, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

For he was home.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part Seven**

_A Time to Heal_

"Will he be all right?"

"Is the King pulling through?"

"How is he today?"

Edmund struggled to hear the conversation happening better, but every time he tried, it slowly faded away. It was as if someone had turned the dial on the radio, and all went dead. He struggled to open his eyes, but for some reason he couldn't.

He didn't know what had happened. His ability to think was something he constantly tried to grab hold of, just as it eluded him. He didn't remember much of anything for. . . well, he was unsure how long.

This time, however, felt different. He had already been awake for longer than he normally was. With all his strength, he forced his eyelids to open.

He barely had time to take in the light, which seemed to harsh after being without it for so long, before his vision was clouded by three faces.

"Are you feeling better?" Lucy asked, holding her arms to her chest anxiously.

Edmund nodded, unsure if he was able to speak yet.

"What happened?" He forced out slowly.

"You fell off your horse. We're not really sure what happened. You hit your head, but you seemed fine- that's why Lucy didn't give you any cordial right away. You didn't pass out until we made it back to Cair Paravel. You've been out for about four days. We'd thought you wake up sooner- Lucy gave you a bit of cordial. I guess it did heal your head though. You'll be fine."

Edmund smiled weakly as he lied back against the bed, trying to remember exactly how many times Lucy's cordial had healed him.

After he counted the third time, he decided he didn't really want to know after all.


	8. Chapter 8

**Part Eight**

_A Time to Dance_

The sun has long since set, and Lucy knew that she should go to bed. However, she had been up and sitting in her room for awhile with only her memories for company. Susan had gone out some hours ago, Peter had been slaving over homework downstairs and Lucy didn't want to disturb him, and the last time she saw Edmund he was deep in a book.

Lucy was normally aware of living in the present, of not letting the memories of Narnia take hold of her mind to the point they enslaved her, but tonight was so beautiful and clear all she could think of was the Narnian sky.

The stars shone through so clearly that it reminded her of all the balls they had held outdoors in the Spring and Summer. Slowly, Lucy stood up from her bed and started going through the steps of her favorite Narnian dance. It had been a long time since she had gone through the steps, and she was rusty, but she had not lost any of the grace she once had.

As Lucy quickly spun around, she saw a figure at her door and at once stopped herself.

"Looks like you need a partner," stated Edmund, who was leaning up against the door, who straightened up to take Lucy's hand.

They danced around Lucy's room, and for a moment they both lost reality. When the dance ended, Lucy's face was radiant as she smiled at Edmund.

"You always were a good dancer. And thank you, Ed- I know you don't like dancing."

Edmund just smiled as he answered, "Anything for you, Lu."

In that moment, Lucy felt her longing for Narnia slip away, if just a little bit, because she knew she had everything she really wanted, her family, around her still.


	9. Chapter 9

**Part Nine**

_A Time to Mourn_

"We're not going back, Ed."

"I know."

The youngest Pevensies sat underneath an apple tree outside the Scrubb's house. Earlier in the day, they had played a variety of makeshift games along with Eustace, but now the sun was directly overhead and Eustace had gone inside at the demand of Alberta. It had been about a week since their very last visit to Narnia, and they hadn't discussed it.

Edmund laid down the book he had been reading and sighed, moving closer to Lucy.

"It's both harder and easier than I thought it would be. It's a very peculiar feeling," He confided in his little sister as she laid her head on Edmund's shoulder.

"I wonder if this is what Peter and Susan felt like when they were told they couldn't go back," Lucy wondered out loud.

"Peter's never said anything about it." Edmund responded.

"Neither has Susan. . . at least, not to me."

They both sat in silence for several minutes, before Lucy broke it once more.

"It makes me feel better though, that Aslan said He can be found in this world too."

Edmund nodded as he stroke Lucy's hair back, something he knew Peter often did to calm the youngest of the Pevensie clan.

"It makes me feel better too."

And for several hours the two mourn their personal loss of Narnia together.


	10. Chapter 10

**Part Ten**

_A Time to Give Up As Lost_

The sobbing was muffled, but Edmund was sure he had heard it. He walked back past Lucy's door and pressed his ear up against the cool wood. She was crying into her pillow. Again.

He set the glass of water he had been carrying outside the door and gently tapped.

"Who is it?" Lucy whispered.

"Edmund," He whispered back. When she said nothing else, Edmund knew it was her way of saying it was all right for him to enter.

The room was darker than the hallway and it took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust to the lack of moonlight. His room had several large windows, all facing outside, but Lucy's only had one. Once he could see, he made his way to the edge of Lucy's bed. Both her cheeks and her eyes were red.

Edmund threw one of his arms around her, drawing her close to his chest. He hated seeing his little sister, always so full of light, like this.

"Come on, Lu. Is this the third night in a row?" He asked softly.

"Fourth," she admitted.

"You've been sad an awful lot lately. Is it Narnia? I know we both miss it and Aslan, but. . ." Edmund trailed off as Lucy shook her head violently.

"It's not that, Ed. I mean, I miss Narnia, and Aslan, and I can't believe we're not going back. But Aslan said we could find Him in this world, and I trust Him. It's Susan."

"Susan?" Edmund couldn't keep the shock out of his voice. He knew Lucy was taking Susan's denial of both Narnia and family hard, but they all were. He didn't think it would cause her to cry so violently.

Lucy sobbed, unable to keep the tears from coming back.

"You and Peter are the best brothers I could have," Lucy admitted, "but Susan is my sister, and I feel like we've completely lost here. Every time I try to bring her back she pulls away even more."

"Oh, Lu," Edmund consoled her, "Susan's life is her own. We can't keep her tied to a Narnia she doesn't believe in if she doesn't want to be tied. I think she'll come back someday, I do, but right now, you have to let her go. I know it's hard, but it's what we have to do. Let her go, Lu."


	11. Chapter 11

**Part Eleven**

_A Time to Throw Away_

Edmund's hand shook as he opened the tin. The small pieces of Turkish delight looked sweet but made Edmund feel sick to his stomach. He held the small candy tin in his hand, not sure what to do with the sweets inside.

The Turkish delight had been given to him by his roommate, whose mother had sent the candy earlier in the week. Michael, Edmund's roommate, made one face at the sweets and handed it to Edmund.

"Here, have some. I know it's your favorite," He said.

Edmund had politely taken the package and had forgotten about it for a few days. Edmund had just noticed the tin still sitting on his desk. The idea of disposing of the candy was tempting, but Edmund felt bad at the idea of just throwing it all away. He knew how much a tin of Turkish delight cost and how much of a treat it should be to have any at all.

He couldn't throw it away.

Edmund closed his eyes and a lifetime of images came rushing toward him. He felt the White Witch's warm coat against him and the taste of enchantment on his lips.

He opened his eyes to be greeted by the sight of that unwelcome dessert once more.

He couldn't throw the candy away. He sighed deeply as he picked up a piece and held it close to his mouth.

He couldn't throw the candy away, so he would throw away the power it held over him instead.

Slowly, he put the piece of Turkish delight in his mouth. While it may not have tasted as good as the enchanted pieces he had eaten so long ago, Edmund thought he had never tasted anything more delicious than this freedom.


	12. Chapter 12

**Part Twelve**

_A Time to Search_

"I'm worried about Edmund," Lucy stated, trying not to allow her emotions betray her voice. She had noticed a change in her brother over the summer, but she had refrained from saying something. She knew Edmund and Peter both often had times when nightmares came to them easily, and the nightmares affected their waking hours as well. It had always frightened Lucy a little, when these things happened, but then again, she had experienced nightmares as well – haunting, terrifying nightmares – and she knew they were nothing to be seriously worried about. This, however, was different. Lucy didn't want to say it, but Peter would be going off to university in the fall and she had a hunch that had something to do with Edmund's mood swings.

"I know, Lu. He. . . he hasn't been himself lately," Peter replied, looking down at his hands with a sigh. For the past few weeks, Edmund had barely spoken, and had left the house right after breakfast. Peter had a fair idea of where Edmund was, but it was unlike Edmund not to tell Peter. Peter had tried not to pry, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that intervention was needed.

"I'll go talk to him," Peter decided firmly. Lucy's expression turned into confusion.

"You don't even know where he is!" She exclaimed.

"I have a guess," Peter replied as he grabbed his coat from the rack. He was determined, and if Edmund wasn't where he thought he was, he would just keep searching. Peter knew the conversation couldn't be put off an hour longer.

Lucy stood from the chair where she had been sitting, her face also looking rather grim.

"Don't worry, Lu. I'll find him."

If Lucy had learned anything about her brothers, it was that Edmund could make himself vanish like no one else when he wanted. However, she also knew that if anyone would be able to find Edmund, not only physically but mentally, it was Peter.


	13. Chapter 13

**Part Thirteen**

_A Time to Keep_

Peter was sure that Edmund was at the library, but he wasn't. In fact, Edmund wasn't _anywhere. _He had tried the library, the book store, the church, and Edmund's favorite lunch spot.

Peter shook his head, knowing that he would just have to give up and wait until later to confront Edmund. Perhaps it was best. Somewhere along the way, Peter's concern for Edmund had turned into anger, and Peter was quite sure an angry confrontation was the last thing Edmund needed right now.

Peter made his way back home, working out in his mind everything he would tell his brother. Peter knew that at least part of the reason Edmund was so upset was the fact that Peter was leaving for university in two weeks.

When Peter arrived home, however, he was unprepared for the scene that greeted him. Lucy was in the kitchen laughing, and Edmund was talking to her with a smile on his face.

"Peter! I have something to show you!" Edmund exclaimed without his usual reservation. It had been many months since Peter had seen Edmund this happy.

Peter silently followed Edmund upstairs into his bedroom. Edmund opened his top dresser drawer slowly, unsure of what words to say. In the end, he silently handed a package over to Peter.

Peter opened the bundle Edmund had handed to him. Inside sat a perfect wood carving of Aslan. Peter marveled at it, turning it over in his hands.

"It's yours," Edmund said quietly, "to take with you to school."

"It's perfect, Ed," the delight in Peter's voice was evident, "Where did you find it?"

Edmund smiled slightly and Peter came to a realization.

"You made this? Is this what you've been leaving the house for every day? To work on this?"

"John the librarian taught me and helped me through it."

Peter threw his arm around Edmund and brought his younger brother into an embrace. He knew that this gift, made by Edmund's own hands, was meant to portray everything his younger brother didn't have words for. Peter knew all of the work was Edmund's way of showing his brother his love, and Peter vowed to keep both gifts close to his heart.


	14. Chapter 14

**Part Fourteen**

_A Time to Laugh_

"Race you to the end!"

Peter smiled.

"I hope you're ready to lose, oh, great King Edmund the Just!"

Edmund and Peter raced across the length of the beach in front of Cair Paravel, glittering white sand, warm to the touch, sticking to their feet.

"First! I win!" Edmund exclaimed with great enthusiasm as he reached an arbitrary point in the sand. Peter, still running at full speed, had no time to slow down and thus ran right into Edmund, causing both Kings of Narnia to topple over into the sand, laughing.

"All right, I'll concede this one to you," Peter replied, gasping slightly for air as his lungs were still recovering from laughing. He turned over on to his back, closing his eyes to protect them from the sun's bright glare, as Edmund did the same.

"You don't think we left the rest of the country in chaos, do you?" Peter asked.

Edmund laughed.

"We only snuck out for a few hours. We've done all our training for today, and have seen to all the pressing matters. Susan and Lucy will know we just took a break. Besides, if they really want to find us, all they have to do is step out from the grounds or look out a window facing this beach. Besides, everyone's inside prepping for the feast tonight, and we'd just be in their way. They're probably glad we saw to it to excuse ourselves."

"Your explanation sounds so much nicer than we snuck out."

"Well, it's the truth, " Edmund replied, leaping to his feet, "and now I think it's time to once again prove my victory."

"Oh!" Peter exclaimed, but by the time he got back on his feet Edmund had a good head start and Peter knew it was a lost cause, but he chased his brother anyway, and once again, the boys raced down the path of sound, laughing the entire way. The sound echoed across the water, and for a few moments, they were not Kings with titles and responsibilities, but simply brothers who were finding joy in each other's company.


	15. Chapter 15

**Part Fifteen**

_A Time to Speak_

He had been silent about this matter for much too long, he decided. It took only a glance at the tears that were streaming down Lucy's face, despite her best effort to hold them back, for him to make up his mind. He sighed as he gathered his thoughts, willing himself to be patient with his older sister, no matter how much she frustrated him at the moment. After all, didn't he understand as well as her how hard it could be? Edmund understood why she had chosen to forget, to let all the memories slip away and replace them with the world she lived in now. He knew that choosing not to remember was much easier. He also knew that however painful, remembering Narnia was worth every tear.

He knocked on the door to the room. He heard his sister give a muffled "come in", and he opened the door to find Susan sitting on her bed, looking at a book, but clearly not reading it. Her eyes seem to be looking through the pages more than at them.

"Why are you doing this, Su?" Edmund asked, hoping the gentle use of her nickname would calm his sister's nerves. They both knew this conversation had been coming.

"Just leave me alone, Edmund," Susan replied in a flat voice.

"I have been leaving you alone!" Edmund's words were sharp, and he reminded himself of his promise to be patient, "We've all been leaving you alone, just as you've asked. But this can't go on any longer! Can't you see what you're doing to Lucy? To all of us?"

Susan kept staring at the pages in front of her, determined not to look her brother in the eye as she answered. "I didn't mean to upset Lucy, but isn't it time you all stop playing these silly games? A talking lion? Kings and Queens? Really, Edmund."

"You mean stop playing the silly games like you have, and exchange them for even sillier ones, with all the parties and fancy clothes? I know you remember Susan, I know you do, or at least you could, if you let yourself."

Edmund's words stirred at something in Susan, but she maintained her calm demeanor. "I can't do this right now, Edmund. Please leave," she gestured towards the door.

"Fine," Edmund snapped, a little more harshly then he meant to, before his voice turned softer once again.

"You'll remember some day, Su. I know that, and I think you know it too."

Susan waited until Edmund has closed the door behind him before she let herself even consider Edmund's words, and the tears she knew would fall with them.


	16. Chapter 16

**Part Sixteen**

_A Time for War_

"Ready, Peter?" Edmund forced the words out in an almost silent whisper.

"Yes," Peter replied softly, knowing he was as ready as he could be. Some part of him could never quite get over the anxiety of going to battle. He was more than prepared to die for his country, and for Aslan, and he knew if ever that fate should befall him, Narnia would be left in more than capable hands. Still, he would almost certainly lose soldiers and friends today, and Peter knew he couldn't protect even Edmund completely, though he was determined, as always, to try his best.

"You think this ever goes away, this nervousness?" Peter asked his brother, sure he would face no judgment in admitting his weakness.

Edmund shook his head. "No, but I don't think we want it to either. I know it feels awful now, but Peter, do you really want to be able to walk into a battle completely emotionless like it's nothing? We both know battles start in our minds before they ever start on the field."

"Smart, as usual, dear brother," Peter said with a weak grin, though in truth Edmund's words had struck a particular chord and he at once felt much more at peace that he was most assuredly not at peace with the fighting that would happen soon.

It was time. Peter snapped his visor down over his face and brought up his sword, ready to give the battle cry.

"For Narnia, and for Aslan!" Peter cried, rushing forward, knowing the whole of Narnia's army was behind him.

And then the roar of clashing swords rang out over the field, and nothing existed except for that moment of his life.


	17. Chapter 17

**Part Seventeen**

_A Time to Weep_

The first time they pushed him around and taunted him, he cried. But as he trudged back to his room, he promised himself he wouldn't let them get that reaction from him ever again, no matter what it took. So when they pushed him again the next day, and he didn't cry, he realized he could be part of them instead. He didn't like making the other kids cry, at least not at first, but it was better than being bullied around himself.

When he came back from Narnia, his change evident but the reasoning behind it unclear to everyone except his siblings, he refused to join in the tormenting of the younger boys, and stood up to his former friends. He was strong, even in his younger body, so unusual to him after once being an adult, but he was outnumbered, and they pushed him against the wall and kicked and punched him. He forced himself to walk calmly back to his room, keeping his head down so no one would see his nose bleeding or his black eye. He tried with all his strength to keep his tears away, but eventually, in the privacy of his own room, he broke down and wept for the first time since stumbling out of the wardrobe.

The tears at first came from the pain his body, so much younger now, not even a teenager yet, had trouble bearing. As time passed, however, they became tears of grief for what had been lost. And on a school day that for everyone else held nothing unusual, King Edmund the Just of Narnia, now a simple boy from Finchley, wept with abandon in a way becoming of a King grieving for his kingdom.


	18. Chapter 18

**Part Eighteen**

_A Time to Shun Embracing_

His brother was hurting, haunted by nightmares and demons of the past few months, and there was nothing he could do, except comfort his brother as much as possible. Until even that had been taken from him.

Edmund had heard Peter's cries that night, and had slipped into the cool room, intending to shake Peter awake from his nightmares and be there as his older brother trembled against him. He shook, trying to wake Peter up, but the nightmares had such a strong hold on the young king.

"Come on, Peter," Edmund whispered. Peter, still caught in his nightmare, struck his brother, causing him to hiss and draw back in pain, if only for a moment.

"Wake up, Peter," Edmund tried again, this time successful. Peter blinked, reality slowly fading in. And then he saw it, the bruise forming on Edmund's cheek.

"I did that. . ." Peter trailed off, his voice cracking.

"Shh, Peter. I'm fine. You weren't awake. You were having a nightmare."

"Doesn't matter," Peter replied, "I hit you. You shouldn't be around me when I'm having these nightmares, I'll hurt you." Despite how hard Edmund had been trying to hide his injuries, Peter knew this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Peter swallowed, feeling as if something large was stuck in his throat as he gazed at Edmund, his brother whom he did everything to protect during the day and yet inflicted injuries on at night, tossed in the sea of nightmares.

Edmund shook his head, but Peter had already rolled over on his bed, his back turned to Edmund. Edmund reached and touched his brother's shoulder, but Peter didn't respond to the gesture.

"I mean it Edmund. You can't stay by me, I'll hurt you again," Peter said, determined, even as much as it hurt to deny his brother the opportunity to comfort him. Peter needed the comfort, and Edmund needed desperately to give it, but Peter couldn't let Edmund continue to do so at his own expense.

Edmund, trembling, stood from where he sat on the edge of the bed and moved to the chair. The moonlight filled the room as the two brothers, far apart, each wept silently.


	19. Chapter 19

**Part Nineteen**

_A Time for Peace_

Edmund's heart pounded dangerously loud in his chest, and he took a deep breath, hoping no one else could sense his fear. He was not looking forward to this council. The atmosphere of Narnia had been a bit tense lately. It was a time of change, and such things always caused conflict. Almost all that remained of the White Witch's army had been dealt with, but now came the issue of what to do with those who had been loyal to the witch but since her death had sworn allegiance to Narnia and the new monarchs. Edmund had hoped that those concerned about the pardoned could believe a traitor may change after having one for a King, but it seemed most animals were willing to trust him to be loyal to Narnia and Aslan but not those of their own species.

Lately, the situation had become such that the monarchs were afraid that the conflicts between the two groups would soon come to blows, and so they knew they must step in to keep the peace. They had invited representatives from all over the land, and all four of them had several meetings with all the representatives, but nothing seemed to have worked well. This was their last meeting of the week before all the representatives went back home, and all four knew something must happen during this council. Peter, with the agreement of both Susan and Lucy, decided that Edmund was the one for the job.

Edmund wasn't so sure, as his heart continued to beat harder than it ever had. He felt inadequate to be the one to try and keep the peace – he had always felt he was much better at causing conflicts instead, and that Peter was a much better peace-keeper than himself. Still, he identified with the former traitors well, and he hoped that would carry some weight.

With a final breath, Edmund stepped into the room, full of eyes staring at him. Narnia and its inhabitants needed rest and peace after the last hundred years, and Edmund would help facilitate it for them if it took every effort he had.


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's note: **This chapter only is Prince Caspian movie-verse. Also, I took a break from Edmund to concentrate on Peter for one drabble, so enjoy!

**Part Twenty**

_A Time to Tear Down/A Time to Tear Apart_

Peter grasped for air, willing his quivering hands to steady. He felt the cold earth of the How beneath his hands, and it gave him strength.

He looked at the giant lion that graced the wall behind the stone table and once again felt a sudden loss of air.

He had so many apologies to make. He knew he owed all of his siblings an apology, Edmund most of all. His younger brother had been the most patient this past year. Edmund had given him wisdom about how to be a Narnian in England, and even when Peter hadn't taken the advice, Edmund stood by his brother all the while, never flinching when Peter verbally struck out against him.

He had so many apologies to make. He had been the most miserable older brother to both of the girls, and to Lucy the most. If Peter was being honest with himself, Lucy's constant faith annoyed him, taunted him that he was unable to have the same un-wavering faith. Instead of letting Lucy's faith inspire his own, he let her faith act as a wall between the two of them.

He had so many apologies to make, but the first had to be to Aslan before he could set things right with his siblings.

"Oh Aslan," He breathed in a prayer to the lion, the first in a long time, "I am so sorry."

Peter felt the tears flow down his face, and he knew the first of several walls inside of him had begun to break.


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note: **I've been sick, so that means three chapters in one day. It seems I was mistaken in my last author's note, as both this chapter and the following are still in Prince Caspian movie-verse and follow right after Part Twenty.

**Part Twenty-One**

_A Time to Build Up_

"Lucy, do you think you could forgive me?" Peter asked, his voice hoarse and dry. He had spent the last half hour repenting over his actions that had taken place over the last year, until he realized that he could put off seeking reconciliation no longer. He had at once set out to find his youngest sister, hoping that she could receive him with the grace she normally carried.

Without saying anything, Lucy flung her arms around Peter's neck.

"I can forgive anything as long as you're actually yourself again," She told him, and he gave a small laugh, letting himself be overwhelmed by her forgiveness.

"Better than I deserve, Lu." He whispered, and she held on tighter.


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note:** Once again, this chapter is set in Prince Caspian movie-verse(last one) and directly follows part twenty-one.

**Part Twenty-Two**

_A Time to Sew Together_

Peter wandered the how, trying to ignore the increasingly tight knot in his stomach. While it had felt so good to finally admit his failings, to let all the barriers he had built up inside of himself just come crashing down in front of Lucy, he couldn't help but to think it was only going to get harder from here. He searched, looking for Susan, as he felt he owed her the next apology, but he could find her nowhere.

It was beginning to grow dark, and Peter conceded that Susan would have to wait. He began searching for Edmund, unsure of how his brother would take his presence right now, after what had happened earlier.

He found his brother at the stone table, staring at the painting of Aslan. It was a place Peter had come to know quite well earlier that very day, remembering the pain but also the joy that had come when he finally called out to the great lion.

Peter crept nearer to his brother, and waited until Edmund looked up at him. Peter glanced down at his hands, feeling at once incredibly self-conscious, and realizing it was up to him to speak. Edmund waited in silence patiently until Peter gathered the courage to say the words he should have said many months before.

"I don't have it sorted. I haven't for a long time, if I ever did. Oh Ed, I've been so horrible lately, to you especially. I shut you out and I refused to seek Aslan and I've made such of mess of everything. After what happened when we first came to Narnia, I never wanted to treat you that way again, and here I've been, even worse. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, Ed. Please. . . "Peter trailed off, no longer able to speak through his tears.

For the second time that day, Peter found himself crushed in a tight embrace.

"I've been forgiven for worse," Edmund whispered to Peter, and Peter collapsed against his brother, knowing that while there would be much to talk about in the future, he had returned home, and for now, that was all that mattered.


	23. Chapter 23

**Part Twenty-Three**

_A Time to Hate_

It wasn't until after Edmund was taken captive by the White Witch did he realize what hate was. At times, he thought he had hated Peter for always acting like he knew best. He once thought he hated his father for leaving them, even though Edmund knew there was no choice in the matter.

After Jadis' defeat, Edmund realized she was the only one she had ever really hated; the only one who had put herself between Edmund and the people he loved the most. His gladness at seeing her defeated at Beruna came in second only to be reuniting with his family.

And today, on the fifth anniversary of that battle, Edmund smiled, because remembering the only one he ever hated reminded him of the one who loved Edmund enough to die for him at the stone table, and the love he felt eclipsed any trace of hatred he could hold in his heart.


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Note:** This take place after Susan has forgotten Narnia.

**Part Twenty-Four**

_A Time to Gather Stones_

It had been Lucy's idea. Now that all of them had been told by Aslan that they would not see Narnia again, they needed a way to process without obsessing, grieve without wallowing, and rejoice over what had been without escaping the present.

It had been Peter who found the perfect vessel for their memories: a large, leather-bound journal with a picture of a lion imprinted on the cover. He found it one day while perusing a book store for a present for Edmund's upcoming birthday, and knew that it was the perfect gift for not only Edmund, but for all of them. He bought it without checking the price, and when Edmund and Lucy saw the journal, Peter knew it would never matter how much he spent, because the look on his sibling's faces was worth every bit he had earned that month.

It had been Edmund who wrote the first account of their Narnian days. It took him three days to get through it, with Peter and Lucy forcing him to take several breaks. He wrote of his first meeting with Aslan, and all that had been said, as well as what happened on the stone table and how he found out about it. When he finished, he smiled and handed it to Lucy, who wrote about the discovery of Narnia and meeting Mr. Tumnus. When she finished, she handed it to Peter, who wrote about the Battle of Beruna and their coronation. In this way, they gathered together, word by word, all they had done and seen, vowing in their hearts to never forget.


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Note: **This story is set soon after _Voyage of the Dawn Treader. _

**Part Twenty-Five**

_A Time to Cast Away Stones_

Edmund could hear Eustace turning in the bed next to him, muttering under his breath. While his cousin had been much improved from the trip to Narnia, as was now a truly pleasant companion during the daytime, Edmund had to admit he still partially resented having to share a room with Eustace. The younger boy was a turbulent sleeper, and while Edmund prided himself on being quite the heavy sleeper, even he couldn't always stay asleep through Eustace's nighttime fits.

Edmund turned over himself and sighed as loud as he could, the only way he could release his exasperation without being too much of a nuisance.

"Edmund?" Eustace asked the dark room.

"Yes?" Edmund whispered back. Apparently his sigh had been louder than he had thought.

"When you came back from Narnia the first time, did you. . . how did. . . how much did you change?" The question was a surprise, but it was clear to Edmund that for Eustace, this was important.

"Completely," Edmund replied, turning over to face his cousin, even though he couldn't see his face in the dark, "I changed completely. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just that, after being with you and Lucy, and meeting Aslan of course, and everything, I don't want to be the same."

"You're not the same, Eustace. You've changed; you know that. Even your parents have seen it."

"I know," Eustace's voice sunk into an even softer whisper, "but I meant, well, at school. My friends and I. . . I guess we were bullies. I don't want it to be that way this year, but if I don't, then they'll come after me."

Edmund closed his eyes, remembering when he had been in the same position. It hadn't seemed like much of a choice for him, after everything that had happened in Narnia. Still, it had been difficult to forge a new identity when he couldn't tell anyone why he was so different. Edmund thought for a few minutes before answering his cousin, and when he did, the wisdom came from King Edmund the Just.

"The only thing you can do, Eustace, is leave all of the past year behind and hold on to Narnia and Aslan. That is what we all had to do, every time we returned, and Aslan was always with us."

Eustace took the words in, feeling reassured the more he thought about it. He was deep in thought when Edmund's voice once again came across the room.

"Now, can you please go back to sleep? Without acting like you're wrestling with an elephant?"

Eustace just smirked as he rolled over in his bed, taking care to rustle the sheets and make as much noise as he could.


	26. Chapter 26

**Part Twenty-Six**

_A Time to Love_

Edmund looked up at the dark ceiling, waiting for the room to come into focus. He felt incredibly warm, and threw the covers off at once. As the darkness around him began to lighten into various shades of grey, he rose from his bed and went at once to open the window.

He breathed in the familiar air, which calmed him though it was not as sweet as the Narnian air he missed so dearly. The dreams of his beloved country are what had caused him to wake in the middle of the night, again. These dreams, though not nightmares by any stretch of the imagination, still often left Edmund unable to sleep for several hours after he woke.

Oh, how he longed for Narnia, and even more so, for Aslan. Edmund knew Aslan was present in England, in this land of the mundane, but it could be so hard to remember it sometimes.

Edmund caught his breath, feeling his longing for his home manifest physically across his body, every part of him aching. His love and longing hurt, but, Edmund decided, it was a better pain than the torture of forgetting.


	27. Chapter 27

**Part Twenty-Seven**

_A Time to Die_

"I don't know if I'm strong enough," Edmund admitted, tossing the rings around in his pockets, though being careful not to slip one on. It was so tempting, though, knowing Narnia needed him. Needed_ them._

Peter gave a sad smile. "This is the first time in a long time I wonder why Aslan told us we would never go back to Narnia. I can't see the sense in it, but I know there must be something."

"If only Lucy were here with us," Edmund sighed, "She could handle any temptation, I think, even this one."

"Well, the train is coming in now. They'll all be here soon. Besides, these rings will be more useful in Eustace and Jill's hands than our-"

Edmund cut his brother off with narrowing eyes as he saw the train approaching—"I say, it's going awfully fast—"

For a moment, Edmund heard, and felt complete silence. Then, the sound started again in a growing crescendo. He heard the screams of deep, raspy voices and the crying of infants. He smelled the putrid stench of metal and flesh and death. And as quickly as it had all rushed to him, it ebbed away into only silence once more.

Then he heard his Lucy's melodic laughter, and Peter's comforting voice. He smelled the earthy smell of the land and gradually the green landscape came into focus. He shook his head, as if waking from the deepest dream, and realized, with growing joy as Peter and Lucy both embraced him, that one journey had ended, and another had begun.


End file.
